Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 67355 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 269(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67355 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 337(@200wpm)___ 269(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
He gives me a long accessing stare before plopping down in the seat in front of my desk. “I think it’s about time you tell me about what’s going on.”
“Where do I begin? Do you want me to explain the contents of that envelope?”
“It’s a start. At least then we can strategize how to put the board and investors at ease with what they’ve received. And we have to figure out who sent it.”
“I already know.”
He furrows his brow and leans forward. “Who?”
“It was my mother.”
“What? Your mother? Why would she do something like this?”
“To be spiteful because I didn’t show up to an invite she wanted me to attend and because I’ve been avoiding her.”
“I kind of figured when you said you wanted to go back to your hometown you’d be visiting family.”
“No. There’s only my mom that I know of. I’m the last in line for the Champion family except for some distant cousins I’ve never met. My mother has no contact with her family so I don’t know much about them.”
“So why did you insist on going back to Champion?”
I place my elbows on my desk and rest my forehead in my palms. “Have you ever had an obsession?”
“In what way do you mean?”
“In the way that your every waking thought is consumed by that thing or person. You feel like you’ll go crazy if you don’t have it.”
“I mean when I was younger, I was crazy about baseball until I discovered girls.” He chuckled.
“My obsession is a girl. Not just any girl. The girl. The moment I met her, I knew she would be mine. But back then, I couldn’t even be friends with her let alone think of having a relationship with her.”
“Why?”
“Let’s just say my mother made it difficult for anyone in my life she didn’t approve of. But now I’m in a position where she can’t hurt me anymore. Or so I thought.”
“So you’re telling me you’ve done all this for a woman?”
Now that that he knows the reason for my erratic behavior, he deserves the total truth. So, I proceed to tell him how I’d gone about my plan to entrap Langston Knight and to make Zora indebted to me.”
By the time I’m finished I feel a huge weight lifted from my shoulders because I don’t want to be dishonest with him. But I wonder if I’ve miscalculated because his fists are balled at his sides, and his lips compress to an angry line.
He doesn’t speak right away. Slowly he gets out of his seat and starts to pace the length of my office.
“I’ve fucked up,” I finally say to break the uncomfortable silence that had fallen between us.
“You think? You put our fucking company in jeopardy over some random pussy? Have you lost your fucking mind?”
I grit my teeth to hold back the angry retort on my tongue. I deserve to be berated but I won’t tolerate anyone talking down on Zora. When I was back in high school, I couldn’t protect her but now I can. “Once you have time to think about it, if you want me to step down as CEO I will. But don’t you ever refer to my woman as just ‘some random pussy’ or I will slam your fucking head through the wall, twelve years of friendship or not.”
Gavin stops pacing and his eyes go wide. “So you’re really serious about this woman? I guess you must be with the lengths you’ve gone through to get her.”
“I’ve never been more serious about anyone or anything in my life. I’ve gone about this the wrong way and I’ve fucked things up with her. She probably hates me but I can’t let her go.”
Gavin returns to his seat with a heavy sigh. “You’re a fucking asshole. Do you know that.”
“Yeah.”
“That being said, I don’t want you to step down. I know how much blood sweat and tears you put into this company. My threat was made in anger. You shut me out and I didn’t appreciate that shit. We’re a team and we’re supposed to have each other’s backs.
“I know. I’m sorry. I’ll make this right with the investors and the board members.”
“You’re damn right you will. And I’ll help you. I’m not going to leave you floundering on your own.”
“You don’t have to. This is a mess I’ve made so it’s only fair I take care of this myself.”
“When we started this business together, we both made a commitment to see it become successful and grow. You’re not in this alone so you don’t have to do this by yourself either”
I bow my head, humbled that he could forgive me so easily after what I’ve done. I nearly screwed up our friendship keeping secrets from him. “Thank you.”
He pauses for a moment and scratches the back of his head. “So…about that old newspaper article. The girl, Melody.”